Wrong date for Doolittle’s Blind Flight

You have a great publication, but I noticed in the June 23rd issue on page 6, you said “Doolittle’s blind flight took place in 1928” (Pass the salt — and a pen). Actually the flight took place Sept. 24, 1929.

The year of 1929 was a high tech time in history for instrument flying developments. Jimmy Doolittle had made his historic blind takeoff and landing, while Lawrence “Gyro” Sperry had been busy developing the gyroscopic flight instruments.

William Charles Ocker, who was considered the “father of blind flying,” was actively writing the first training manual for instrument flight. It was titled “Blind Flight in Theory and Practice” and first published in 1930. It was put into final publication in 1932. In 1929, Edwin A. Link also patented the first true instrument flight simulator.

Tom Gilmore, MCFII

via email

Editor’s Note: Mr. Gilmore is right.

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